The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-06-22


Owing TO the increased electrical in
tensity Of the atmosphere, which is in
duced by the sontinuaI evulsion of steam
and smoke, Dir. Andries estimates that
the danger from lightning is from three
to five times greater than il was fifty
years ago.
Recent delicate scientific experiments,
says a writer ON earthquakes have dis
covered the fact that tie surface Of the
land is never absolutely al rest for more
than thiry hours ai time. Thus those
great earthquakes which make epochs in
history are merely extreme manifesto
lions of forces that rarely sleep.
The yellowing of paper, according to
Prof Wicsner, is due 10 an oxidation de-
termined by light, especially by the more
refrangible rays. i, is greater in wood
than in rag paper, and in moist than in
dry air The electric light. rich in the
more refrangible rays, has a great y dis
coloring effect in libraries than gas.
The Fall river Mass mills have
new device for stopping the engines in
any part of the mill. An electric wire
runs from the engine to each room in
the mill. There is box in each room
from which, by the simple turning of a
key, the engine may be Immediately
stopped. A convenient contrivance.
a less restricted diet in athletic train
ing is being favored in England, and, in
stead of the large proportion of meat
formerly rigidly insisted on, plysiolo-
gists now consider u variety of food es-
sential to the best results The Cambridge
boat crew, in training for the race with
Oxford, were this year permitted to cat
fish, puddings and deserts, though still
forbidden sugar with pastry.
How much influence do fish exert on
each other9 W. a. Barter, in speaking
recently ON Marine and Fresh Water
Fishes, mentions shoal of carp follow
ing a single one acting as leader, which
conducted them long distance to CON
siderable amount Of food. Trout sonle-
times seem to follow leader which
swims along at the head Of tribe. Both
fresh-water and saltwater fish appear to
show the same characteristic Herring
and bass have frequently been observ-
ed following an apparently-chosen lead
er.
1t is fact worth noting the no comet,
so faras known, has ever came in contact
with the earth, or mingled its substance
with the earth's atmosphere. The near
est approach ever observed was Lexell's
comet of l770, which approaced TO with
in 100000 miles of the earth, and SUP
tended an angle of . deg % minutes, the
largest apparent diameter yet observed
in any comet. 1t has not been seen since
l770, though an orbit was computed for
it Of only FIVE and half years, and as
tronomers are OF the opinion that perturb-
alton by Jupiter may have changed its
orbit to one Of long period.
In the village of Meyrin, in the canton
Of Geneva, Switzerland, some disused
wells, il is said, have been Theoretically
sealed and devoted TO the novel purpose
Of serving as barometers to the people
In this arrangement IN oirfiee of about
ono inch IN diameter is made in the coy
er of the well, by means of which the
internal air is put in communication with
the external When the air pressure
outside dilainishes on the approach Of
storm, the air in the well escapes aud
blows whistle in connection with the
oriiice, and in this simple way notice Of
4 storms approach is duly given to the
inhabitants. But il, on the contrary, the
pressure increases. a sound Of a different
and well-undeistood character is pro-
dueed by the entry Of the air into the
well, end the probability of fine weather
is announced.